Tridonic’s EM ready2apply: an ‘out of the box‘ solution for emergency lighting

Recessed emergency downlight

New battery technology delivers 3-year guarantee

Maintained and non-maintained variants available

Tridonic has announced the availability of a brand new, ‘out of the box‘ emergency lighting solution that gives OEMs, wholesalers, installers and FM managers a product that combines advanced battery technology with the latest in emergency lighting components. This is the company‘s first ever stand-alone emergency luminaire and it comes at a time when there is a heightened awareness of the importance of practical emergency lighting. The EM ready2apply is a new and highly effective solution to the problem of reliable and compact emergency lighting, which unites Tridonic’s lighting expertise with some of the most rigorous testing processes to deliver a product that sets a bench mark for future emergency lighting solutions.

Chris Slattery, Global Product Manager for Emergency Lighting at Tridonic, explains more: “Our aim was simple. Design a compact and easy to install product that would fit into an ever-diminishing ceiling void and through a minimal cut-out. It had to encompass sufficient power to exceed the necessary performance figures, exceed all lifetime and safety requirements, as well as give users the option on installation with interchangeable lenses.” The company wanted to progress from the traditional design of using a hinged inverter or a battery in a protective sock to deliver a product that was both more aesthetic and user friendly.

From concept to release it has taken four years and the combined design and engineering skills of Tridonic’s emergency lighting team based in Spennymoor, strengthened by other engineers around the globe, to complete the robust design and testing procedures. At the heart of the process were some of the most stringent safety and reliability criteria. The first challenge was to find a battery that would be small enough but also pack enough power for all possible applications. The current NiCd and NiMH technologies would not deliver the required performance relative to their size so the search for an alternative started in May 2013. After extensive research and testing far beyond the basic levels required, Tridonic settled on a LiFePO4 battery which exceeded all the safety, lifetime, and performance requirements they had set.

“Next we set about the challenge of combining an LED driver, battery charging circuit, DALI interface, and monitoring circuit inside a space of approximately 75mm x 35mm x 25mm;” continues Chris. “We then had to add two cut-outs on the PCB for the springs that keep the luminaire in the ceiling. This was finally made possible using some clever engineering and a flexi-rigid PCB which allows for the optimal use of available space.”

The development team then needed to work out the best means of connecting the battery. Their unique solution connects the two parts together, allows the product to flex over on installation, contains all the wiring required for the battery and protection circuit, provides a strong strain relief, and contains a simple 2-step method for battery connection and disconnection.

The EM ready2apply combines all the above with an interchangeable lens design to give the user a choice of how they want the product to perform without stocking separate units, the “BlackBox” monitoring gives over 40 data points, the design for manufacture reduces operation steps to provide a cost and time efficient production, and ultrasonic welding is used to finally seal the housing shut (clips took up too much space). An innovative product at a competitive market price!

The product is readily available through Tridonic’s proven network of approved distributors or over the counter at electrical wholesalers. The key elements of its specification are as follows:

About Tridonic

As a leading global provider of smart and efficient lighting solutions, Tridonic today empowers its customers and business partners to become successful by making their lighting smarter, more exciting and more sustainable. Our lighting components offer the highest quality, maximum reliability and considerable energy saving potential that provide our customers with a great competitive advantage.

Tridonic continually brings state-of-the-art innovations and lighting solutions on to the market. 95 percent of our R&D projects are devoted to the development of new LED systems and connected lighting technologies. Thanks to our well-founded expertise and specialist knowledge vertical lighting applications (for instance in Retail, Hotel & Hospitality, Office & Education, Outdoor and Industry), leading luminaire manufacturers, architects, electrical and lighting planners, electrical installers and wholesalers rely on Tridonic for both indoor and outdoor lighting needs.

Tridonic is the technology company within the Zumtobel Group, which is headquartered in Dornbirn, Austria, and in fiscal year 2015/16 generated sales of 410.4 million EUR. Nearly 1,650 highly skilled staff and distribution partners in more than 50 countries around the world reflect the company’s commitment to developing and launching new smart, networked lighting systems. With more than 40 million lighting points installed each year, Tridonic plays a crucial role in networked lighting as a key element and as important infrastructure for the “Internet of Things”.